Teaching kids about the love of God is a privilege and a joy but what happens when your group includes a negative child? Everyone has a down day occasionally but this little one sees the glass half empty all the time. If it’s snack time, he bemoans the cookie and cracker selection. During the teaching time, he interrupts to infuse … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Bullies are the pits. They can really make life hard for children and it is hard to remember at times that bullies are also children. That’s great information if you’re a teacher who has a bully in her classroom but what about the kid to whom bullies seem to gravitate. Perhaps he’s smaller than the rest of the kids, maybe … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Bearing spiritual fruit is proof that God is at work in your life! Even though they are small, this Bible principle applies to kids, too. However, kids won’t know about developing spiritual fruit if we don’t teach them. Include these fruit of the Spirit activities in your next lesson and watch the “spiritual lightbulbs” come one. This fun, playful ideas … More Children’s Ministry Resources
What must parents think when they pop into kids’ church or Sunday School and find Junior sitting solo in time out? From experience, I can give you an idea. “What now?” and “Not here too…” I have been working in kids’ ministry for almost two decades and I totally get how “wonderful” the time out chair can be. It’s probably … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Easter is so glorious–I really take my responsibility as teacher seriously on special days like this. (Well, all the time but more so on Easter!) There’s so many important details that it is hard to know what to mention. You could just read the story of Easter or show a video of the resurrection but I believe it is always … More Children’s Ministry Resources
When you have a dozen pairs of curious eyes staring at you and the lesson is over–you need a game. I know that scenario happens to me and quite frequently. No matter how hard you plan, I always need one more activity or game. Rather than dreaming up something complicated or even expensive, reach for some hula hoops. Inexpensive and … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Kids can’t resist balloons, can they? This thought inspired me to get busy planning a fun game using a bunch of balloons. While we’re having fun, it doesn’t hurt to reinforce a bible verse! This active game is perfect for kids age 6 and up but you could probably introduce it to smaller kids if they don’t mind popping a … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Looking for ideas to make your annual Easter egg hunt a bit more exciting? It’s hard to imagine that the prospect of an exciting church service, chocolate bunnies and jellybeans would need any help but just in case you were curious, we’ve got some twists you can add. From community-wide hunts to a family gathering, we’ve got something for everyone … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Without the help of volunteers, where would be? I don’t know about everyone else but I would probably be found crying in my classroom. This Easter, show your volunteers how much you appreciate them with their own Easter basket. You don’t have to blow the entire kids min budget but arranging a few themed items in a basket, along with … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Planning on hosting an Easter egg event this year? Handing out prizes (and all those eggs) is great but why not add some messages. During the plastic egg stuffing process, tuck in a mini message to encourage your kids, teens and adults. I’ve got 25 messages I plan on typing, printing and tucking inside my Easter eggs this year. What … More Children’s Ministry Resources
So what’s the most humble school supply? I’d have to go with the pencil–an item that every child is familiar with. Why not take this tool and use it for an object lesson? From chewed to new, a pencil object lesson is one that kids will remember everytime they reach for one. Just for fun, I developed two object lessons … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Reach in your office drawer and pull out a few rubber bands. That’s all you need to share these object lessons. Bring the Bible to life by presenting this important lessons to kids using these snappy visual aids. Of course, it may be hard to find a volunteer. People don’t like getting popped or snapped. You could really make this … More Children’s Ministry Resources
In this age of electronic games and cell phones, it may seem like puzzles are old hat but I can assure they are not. It’s hard to make eye contact and initiate conversations when kids are texting. If you’re looking for ways to bridge the gap and build relationships with your kids, consider stocking up on puzzles. I can’t tell … More Children’s Ministry Resources
As you may have read, I do love teaching about the Golden Rule. I’m old enough to remember when we actually recited the words of Jesus in the classroom. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) Imagine a world where everyone embraced … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Kids speak a unique language of fun and faith, don’t they? If you want to grab the attention of your young audience, teach using a tasty treat. Not only will they hang on every word (crumb!) they will look forward to snacking on them after the lesson. Try these cookie object lessons if you want to teach about brokenness or … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Twenty years ago, I was one of those parents who sent her child to local church functions, like VBS but didn’t actually attend myself. Although I had enjoyed sporadic visits to church as a child via bus ministry, somehow, I didn’t relate that I would enjoy church as an adult. I don’t really remember what I thought about church at … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Need some promotion ideas for March? Boost your attendance and create some excitement with these St. Patrick’s Day promotions for kids’ ministry. Send home quarter-page flyers home each week to encourage the child’s attendance for the following week. Pop full-page flyers in the mail to kids who don’t attend regularly. Distribute flyers in your community and build your kids church … More Children’s Ministry Resources
You’ve got excited kids headed your way–are you ready for some St. Patrick’s Day fun? Implement some of these activities and keep your little ones busy during gaps in your schedule. I have found that it never hurts to have Plan A along with some fillers from Plan B. Sticking to the seasonal aspect, I have created activities that I … More Children’s Ministry Resources
“Am I lucky?” That’s a question you may hear this St. Patrick’s Day from a wide-eyed child in your children’s ministry. In the community and on television, there will be lots of talk about leprechauns, finding a four-leaf clover or even a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. The idea of a sudden change in fortune or … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Every March people around the world, (even the non-Irish) celebrate the life and ministry of St. Patrick with the color green. Like the green countryside of the mother land, Irish fans proudly wear their green ensembles. Why not take advantage of this color’s seasonal popularity by using green for a few object lessons. You can find most of the items … More Children’s Ministry Resources
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) That’s a verse we live by, isn’t it? I take my responsibility to train up kids seriously but getting kids to love the Bible can be a challenge. Of course, once they dive off into God’s word, … More Children’s Ministry Resources
As you probably already know, I’m a big fan of simple object lessons. I love presenting an everyday object to kids and helping them to see the gospel or bring them to a greater understanding of a biblical principle. We recommend this prayer Pretzel printable from Marci Coombs’ blog. When looking for a new object lesson recently, I turned to … More Children’s Ministry Resources
No one is more creative than an imaginative child! As kids ministry leaders, we celebrate their inherent creativity! However, this God-given talent for “seeing and saying” with the heart can be distorted into flat out sinning. Kids don’t have a monopoly on lying but if we can intervene, we can help these little storytellers recapture their imaginations and their tongues. … More Children’s Ministry Resources
Leading a child to Christ is the single most wonderful thing about children’s ministry, and there are many wonderful things about teaching kids. There’s nothing quite like leading kids in prayer and introducing them to the Lord. I remember when I first began in children’s ministry about sixteen years ago how nervous I was to lead the altar service. What … More Children’s Ministry Resources